


Visiting Hour

by awfulthings



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Apologies, Arguing, Betrayal, Confrontations, Hurt, Kylo Ren Angst, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren Redemption, M/M, No Sex, Poor Hux, Post-Movie(s), Post-War, Prison, Prisoner of War, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-06-02 00:04:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6542251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awfulthings/pseuds/awfulthings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After surrendering to the Resistance and agreeing to cooperate, Ben Solo appears to have found himself a new path to follow. But visiting General Huxley in his cell forces him to consider the cost of redemption.</p><p>(Post-TFA)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visiting Hour

"What?" Hux spat. "Did you think they would just let me go?"

Ren kept his gaze low from his place on the other side of Hux's cell door. Shame stooped his shoulders, and that's when the answer hit Hux hard enough to startle a laugh out of him. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"No. You hadn't even thought about it." He stepped forward and wrapped his long fingers around the bars of his cell. Ren shrank back, cowed. "You were so wrapped up in playing the hero that you never considered the consequences of your betrayal for anyone else."

Ren bristled at the accusation. "That's not true-"

"For _me_ , then!" The fallen general's voice reverberated off of the metal walls. This was getting too personal for Hux's comfort, but what the hell? After all, this was it, wasn't it? He had nothing left to lose. He took a sharp breath in through his nose to steady himself, gathering up the fractured pieces of the man he'd spent a lifetime becoming. When he spoke again his voice was soft and glacial. "You hadn't considered that mommy's clean up crew might break some of your _toys_."

Ren fidgeted from one foot to the other, looking anywhere but into Hux's face. "That's not fair."

"Fair? Fair? You choose the middle of a war to start thinking about whether or not life is _fair?_ " Hux spat out a laugh like venom. "I don't know how I overlooked your youth for even an instant. You're nothing more than a child in a costume, trying on shoes too big for you to ever fill."

Ah, finally; he'd hit a nerve. Ren was struggling to keep himself composed lest he prove Hux right with a tantrum. Sensing this, the prisoner pushed on.

"Poor, spoiled prince. When granddaddy's helmet fell down over your eyes, you tried stepping into the place of your rebel scum father instead." The tip of Hux's nose poked through the bars. " _Pathetic_."

Usually this would have been enough. Hux awaited those familiar invisible hands closing around his throat. He saw the telltale vein standing out on Ren's temple, a sure sign of an imminent outburst. But instead, Ren closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. "I don't expect you to understand."

"Ex _cuse_ me?"

"The First Order...was never the path I wanted to take. I fell to the Dark Side because I was weak. I felt that I had no other options." He opened his eyes to meet Hux's gaze. "I'm tired of being weak, Hux. I'm through being dragged along on Snoke's leash because I wasn't strong enough to oppose him. With the Alliance's guidance, with their training-"

"What, is Skywalker supposed to take you back after the last time you trained under him?"

Ren's brow furrowed. "Do not speak of things you don't know."

"Everyone knows--"

"No, everyone only _talks_ as if they know."

"Then please, your Highness, en _light_ en me." His voice dripped with contempt.

Ren shook his head. "There's no time. I'm only allowed to stay for so long."

The comment brought Hux's reality crashing back down around him. As furious as he was with Kylo, arguing with him felt normal, comforting. Time was not his friend right now, and the reminder of its presence turned his stomach. He deflated all at once as his rage dissolved into exhaustion. He released the bars of his cell and turned away. "Why are you here, Kylo?"

"Ben," he replied sheepishly.

"What?"

"My name is Ben now." A pause. "Again."

Hux shook his head. "Not to me." He crossed his arms over his chest like armor as he stared at the back wall. "And you didn't answer the question."

He heard the prince step close to the bars from behind his back. "I don't know. I don't have an answer. I just wanted to see you."

"Well then. Mission accomplished." Hux swallowed. "Why are you still here?" It wasn't a question. It was a good bye. He used the last of his energy to square his shoulders and hold his head high. He silently thanked the powers that be that no one had made him change out of his black uniform pants and undershirt yet. He wanted Kylo Ren to remember him this way, wearing the colors they had both pledged to many years ago. Kylo looked like a stranger in his Rebel earth tones. Like a ghost.

"I'm sorry." The words were a desperate whisper, but Ren's deep bass carried to Hux's ears. "I know that that changes nothing, but...I'd do anything to keep you out of this mess."

" _Liar_." Hux spat. "Leave."

There was a moment of excruciating silence before Ben Solo's footsteps marked his exit from the corridor.

Hux sank down onto the cell's cot. He was ashamed to admit that part of him had hoped that he'd stay. An even smaller part had been hoping that Kylo would press his lips to the general's ear and whisper an escape plan, revealing this whole nightmare to be a First Order plot after all.

Of course, he'd known better than to actually expect it to. The Starkiller Base was gone. His life's work had been destroyed with it. And the one person in the universe he'd ever felt close to had made it very clear where his loyalties lie.

Hux leaned back and closed his eyes. He pushed aside thoughts about what awaited him at the hands of the Resistance and allowed himself to hope, however feebly, that Kylo Ren would come to see him one last time before it was all over.


End file.
